Australia condemns CFA violations in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 January 2006, 11:23 GMT]In a media release issued on the 8 December, Mr Alexander Downer , Australia's Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "Australia is deeply concerned about the recent escalation in violence in the North and East of Sri Lanka, and condemns in particular the two attacks in Jaffna on 4 and 6 December by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)," and called upon "both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to take appropriate steps to bring an end to the current violence and to work towards the implementation of the letter and spirit of the Ceasefire Agreement as a crucial step in seeking a just and sustainable peace settlement."

Full text of the 8th December release follows:

Australia is deeply concerned about the recent escalation in violence in the North and East of Sri Lanka, and condemns in particular the two attacks in Jaffna on 4 and 6 December by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which killed fourteen members of the Sri Lanka Army.

Australia also condemns the recent killings of civilians in eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka.

The recent attacks represent the most serious violations of the Ceasefire Agreement since its commencement in February 2002.

Australia welcomes the restraint shown by the Government of Sri Lanka in not retaliating against these provocations, but remains concerned about persistent violations of the Ceasefire Agreement.

I call upon both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to take appropriate steps to bring an end to the current violence and to work towards the implementation of the letter and spirit of the Ceasefire Agreement as a crucial step in seeking a just and sustainable peace settlement.

Full text of the 10 January release follows:

Australia condemns the recent increase in violence in Sri Lanka, particularly the attacks by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north and east which have killed at least 60 members of the security forces since December.

Australia also condemns the assassination of the Hon Joseph Pararajasingham MP at Christmas midnight mass in Batticaloa, in eastern Sri Lanka.

Australia recognises the continued restraint shown by the Government of Sri Lanka in the face of these latest attacks, as well as its determination not to allow the LTTE's actions to undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated peace.

Australia calls on the LTTE and paramilitary groups to respect the ceasefire agreement and heed the recent call of the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference to stop all violations of the ceasefire.

Australia considers that the conflict can only be resolved through a negotiated settlement that meets the aspirations of all Sri Lankans. We call upon all parties to take steps to end the recent violence and return, without delay, to talks on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.